Method and apparatus for mixing combustible fluids



Aug. 11, 1964 B. c. e. NYMAN METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MIXING COMBUSTIBLE FLUIDS Filed March 23, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Pressure Sensitive E3 Device Amplifier INVENTOR B0 Curl G. Nyman ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,143,851 METHOD AND APPARATUS FGR MIXING tZOMBUSTlBLE FLUIDS Bo (Sari Giista Nyman, Tyreso, Sweden, assignor to Alwae International, Inc., Bahamas, a corporation of Panama Filed Mar. 23, 1960, Ser. No. 17,206 16 Claims. (Cl. 60-35.6)

My present discovery and invention relates to improvements in methods and apparatus for the generation and utilization of propulsive energy. More particularly, my discovery and invention relate to novel improved methods and apparatus for mixing fluids by the ionization of gases and gaseous mixtures to increase their volume and efiiciency of conversion into propulsive energy for rockets, missiles, jet engines and the like.

My invention is based on the discovery that the efficiency of ionization for the foregoing purposes is greatly improved by ionization and/ or dissociation of gaseous fuel mixtures and fuel under controlled conditions of temperature and pressure.

My improved methods comprise the step of ionizing gases in magnetic fields, preferably at high temperature, combustion zone conditions and utilizing relatively low ionizing potentials which I have found are particularly effective with fuel that is combustible independently of ambient air.

Various prior eiforts have been made to utilize ionization to increase the reactivity of gases and vapors but, so far as I am aware, have not gone into substantial commercial use. U.S. Patents 2,583,898, issued January 29, 1952, and 2,766,582 are typical of such efforts. In these patent disclosures, ionization is effected in the absence of magnetic fields and ionizing potentials of 400 volts and higher are used. In Patent 2,766,582, ionization of a dielectric type fuel prior to vaporization is disclosed. My invention differs from such prior eiforts in ionizing the mixtures to be reacted in the gaseous or vapor phase, preferably in a substantially uniform magnetic field, and in the utilization of ionizing potentials preferably of the order of from about 6 volts to about 120 DC. voltages, depending upon the nature of the equipment used and the mixtures to be reacted. While higher voltages may be used, optimum results have been secured with the mixtures so far reacted within relatively narrow limits in the foregoing voltage ranges.

I am aware that magnetic fields have been utilized in the ionization and dissociation of gases in equipment such as Phillips vacuum and pressure meters, cyclotrons and the like, but am aware of no magnetic field use to increase reactive eificiency of gaseous mixtures in combustion zones and to provide propulsive energy in outer space beyond the oiddizing atmosphere of the earth through the energy of dissociation of unburned fuel supply.

By utilization of suitable direct and remotely operated control equipment of well known types responsive to telemetry signals for my improved suitably arranged ionizing equipment, the rate, direction and extent of ascent and return of missiles and space vehicles through atmosphere to and from outer space, and their flight direction and location is controllable.

A primary object of my invention is the provision of improved methods and apparatus for the propulsion of missiles, rockets, space vehicles and the like.

Another object of my invention is to provide improved methods and apparatus for the development of thrust and heat energy through combustion, and/or dissociation of fuel independently of ambient air. The production of thrust and heat energy from a mixture combustible independently of ambient air as an oxidizer is useful in the launching and operation of space vehicles once they leave the earths atmosphere and oxygen is no longer available in the ambient around the vehicle.

A further object is the provision of novel ionizing .ethods and apparatus for the development of thrust energy from gaseous fuel mixtures and fuel, and for control of the degree of ionization in response to the pressure of the gases in the exhaust nozzle.

These and other objects of the invention will become more fully apparent from the claims, and from the following description when read in conjunction with the appended drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 illustrates diagrammatically ionizing equipment embodying my invention as applied to a rocket which has been successfully flight tested;

FIGURE 2 is a view in section of the motor section of the rocket taken along lines 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a cross section of the rocket motor section taken along line 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a circuit diagram of the control circuitry associated with the ionizing equipment; and

FIGURE 5 is a view in section of the rocket motor section of an alternative embodiment.

Referring now to the drawings and specifically to FIGURE 1, the illustrated rocket is composed of a payload section it: adapted to carry instrumentation and electronic power supplies, and a compartment 12 adapted to carry a part of the material used in the rocket fuel system, such as Dry Ice. Sections 14 and 16 comprise tanks for the combustible materials such as aniline and nitro-muriatic acid, respectively. In tail section 20 which contains four steering fins 23 is a combustion chamber having a centrally located outlet nozzle 22.

Inside the shield of tail section 20, as best shown in FIGURE 2, is the motor or combustion chamber composed of a cylindrical wall 24 which has a flange 25 at the forward or upper end, and the usual tapered section 26 providing a throat 28 adjacent the flared exhaust nozzle opening 22. An outlet connection from the Dry Ice tank in compartment 12 is connected to the top of compartment 14 through conduit 39 and to compartment 16 through conduit 32. An outlet pipe 34 is provided from the tank in compartment 14 which supplies a liquid such as aniline to the combustion chamber through a suitable injector 36 diagrammatically shown in FIGURE 2. A similar tube 38 is connected from the tank in compartment 16 for supplying a liquid in that compartment such as nitro-muriatic acid also to injector 36 so that the two liquids are mixed and ignited in the usual manner. The structure and functioning of the above described apparatus is all conventional in this art and is merely illustrative of the particular apparatus with which the present invention is adapted to be used.

In accordance with the present invention, mixing of the fuel from the liquids supplied to injector 36 is facilitated and enhanced by the application of an ionizing potential in such manner that ionized particles are formed. For a more complete and thorough mixing, such ionized particles are passed through a magnetic field to impart to the charged particles or ions forces which produce components of motion transverse to the axis of the combustion chamber cylinder 24 in a manner more completely described in my co-pending application Serial No. 339 filed January 4, 1960. Accordingly, a first pair of electrodes 4i and 42 are mounted on opposite side walls of cylinder 24 in insulating grommets or gaskets 44 and 46, respectively, of a non-conducting heat resistant material such as a ceramic. At the location of electrodes 40 and 42, a magnetic field is provided as by means of permanent magnets 48 and 50 which have north and south poles as indicated in FIGURE 3. The principal direction of the magnetic field is thus perpendicular to the principal direction of the electric field between electrodes 40 and 42 and to the gas mixture flow path along the axis of cylinder 24. Separate lead wires 52 and 54 are connected to electrodes 42 and 40 respectivelyfor supplying a variable DC. potential which is so chosen as to provide controlled combustion as explained below.

A second pair of electrodes 56 and 58, which are similarly insulated from the walls 24 of the combustion chamber, are provided downstream of the first pair of electrodes 40 and 42 and connected by leads 60 and 62 respectively to a source of DC. voltage.

At the throat 28 of nozzle 22, means responsive to the pressure of the exhaust gases is provided to furnish a control signal for automatically varying the voltageapplied to electrodes 40 and 42 in accordance with changes in nozzle throat pressure. Such a pressure responsive means'may comprise electrodes 64 and 66, also insulated from the walls 22 and 26 of the nozzle if such walls are of such conductive material. Electrical leads 68 and 70 are provided to supply a voltage to electrodes 64 and "66. As the gas pressure at throat 28 of the nozzle increases, the density of electrically conducting atoms and ions increases whereby the electrical resistance between terminals 64 and 66 decreases to thereby provide between leads 68 and 70 a voltage which varies in accordance with the pressure at the nozzle throat 28.

Referring now to FIGURE 4, there is illustrated a circuit for supplying the ionizing voltages to electrode pairs trode 42. The amount of resistance provided by resistor H 86 in the circuit is determined by the position of tap 88,

which in turn is controlled in any conventional manner such as by means of a servo-motor 90 driven by amplifier 92. As such amplifier driven servo-motors are available commercially, no further explanation thereof is deemed necessary.

The input voltage signal to amplifier 92 is from leads 68 and 70, the magnitude of which is determined by the electrical resistance between terminals 64 and 66 at the throat of the nozzle. varies primarily with the pressure at the throat of the nozzle. In the illustrated embodiment with dimensions as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, a throat pressure of approximately 50 kilograms/cm. was obtainable. Without ionization, the maximum throat pressure obtainable was approximately 20 kilograms/ems? With the diametral spacing between the ionizing electrode pairs 4! 42 and 56,58 of approximately 5 centimeters, an optimum voltage has been determined to be less than 10 volts, i.e. 2 volts/cm., and where aniline and nitroappears at throat 28 of the nozzle, thereby indicating maximum efiiciency of combustion.

However, it is-necessary'that precautions be'taken to avoid excessive pressures which may rupture the combustion chamber due to excessive pressures and overheating and one means of control is through use of the pressure sensitive circuit in- The electrical resistance in turn cluding the electrical resistance in the gas along a path between electrodes 64 and 66 for controlling amplifier 92 and hence the position of potentiometer arm 83 which in turn controls the voltage supplied to ionizing terminals 40 and 42. The voltage at terminals 48 and 42 is thereby made variable while the voltage between terminals 56 and 58 is a steady voltage. There is thus provided a self balancing control system whereby the pressure at the throat of the nozzle may be readily controlled by varying the ionization potential applied to electrodes 40 and 42 to maintain a steady desired thrust without varying the fuel line control valve.

Referring now to FIGURE 5, there is illustrated a modified form of ionization apparatus for the combustion chamber which comprises a cylindrical wall 124 and upper flange 125 similar to cylindrical wall 24 and flange 25 of FIGURE 2. In this embodiment, the ionizing electrodes comprise an upper circular ring 126 and a lower similar ring 128 across which the ionizing potential is applied from battery 136 to variable resistors 132 and 133. Ionizing ring 126 is secured to cylindrical wall 124 by a series of insulating supportmembers 134 and substantially symmetrically disposed inside cylindrical tube 124. Ring 128 is similarly mounted on insulating support members 136 to be downstream of ionizing ring 126.

Downstream of ring 126 is a further ring 138 which may be conductively secured to cylindrical walls 124 as by wires 140 to serve as a intermediate voltage ring connected electrically to a centralposition on battery 130. A similar ring 142 is provideddownstream of ionizing ring 128 which may also be mounted as by wires 144 to the cylindrical walls 124 of the combustion chamber and connected electrically to the central position on battery 130.

In the embodiment shown in FIGURE 5, the ionization takes place axially along the combustion chamber, the first stage of ionization being between ionizing ring 126 and intermediate voltage ring 138 and the second stage of ionization being between ionizing ring 128 and intermediate voltage ring 142. The effect of this ionization is to increase the mixing of the fuel to thereby enhance the combustion efiiciency. The magnitude of the ionizing voltage may be controlled, as shown in FIGURES 2 through 4, to provide automatic thrust control.

It will be observed that in FIGURE 5, the rings have increasingly smaller cross section as the gas flow proceeds from ionizing ring 126 to intermediate voltage ring 142. The ions produced in the downstream region between rings 128 and 142 are produced in a region where the potential is negative with respect to the walls of the chamber. This is believed to contribute to the effectiveness and the thoroughness of the mixing of the combustible elements, and to the completeness of the combustion, particularly in the case where a hydrocarbon fuel is burned in air or a medium containing oxygen. The upstream ionization is effected between ring 126, which is positive relative to the walls of the chamber, and ring 138 which is at the same potential as the wall of the chamber, while the downstream ionization is effected between ring 128, which is negative with respect to the wall of the chamber, and the ring 142, which is at the same potential as the wall of the chamber. Wherekerosene is used as the principal fuel and combustion takes place in the atmosphere or with oxygen, less carbon monoxide appears to be present in the exhaust gas when the region closest to the exhaust outlet is at a negative potential relative to the walls of the chamber.

As a supplemental or auxiliary feature to the embodiment shown in FIGURE 5, permanent magnets and 152, each consisting of two semi-circularly shaped ferrite members similar to magnet members 48 and 50 of FIG- URES 2 and 3 may .be mounted around walls '124 at the regions of ionization between rings 126, 138 and 128, 142, respectively. By this construction there is provided a magnetic field at the regions of ionization to thus facilitate mixing of the fuel and the resultant dissociation of the gaseous mixture prior to or during combustion.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential character istics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing descrip tion, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A system for increasing the efliciency of reaction of a gaseous mixture comprising, in combination with a combustion chamber, ionizing means for said mixture embodying spaced ionizing electrodes mounted to ionize said mixture, a voltage source, means for connecting said voltage source to said electrodes, and means responsive to the pressure in said combustion chamber for varying the magnitude of the voltage applied to said electrodes.

2. A system for increasing the efliciency of reaction of a gaseous mixture comprising, in combination with a combustion chamber, ionizing means for said mixture embodying spaced ionizing electrodes mounted to ionize said mixture, means for providing a magnetic field through which said mixture is passed, a voltage source, means for connecting said voltage source to said electrodes, and means responsive to the pressure in said combustion chamber for varying the magnitude of the voltage applied to said electrodes.

3. A system for increasing the efliciency of reaction of a gaseous mixture comprising, in combination with a combustion chamber, ionizing means for said mixture embodying spaced ionizing electrodes mounted to ionize said mixture, a voltage source, means for connecting said voltage source to said electrodes, electrical terminals on opposite walls of the combustion chamber downstream of said ionizing electrodes, circuit means responsive to changes in electrical resistance between said terminals due to changes in pressure at said terminals for varying the magnitude of the voltage applied to said electrodes.

4. A system for increasing the efliciency of reaction of a gaseous mixture comprising, in combination with a combustion chamber, ionizing means for said mixture embodying spaced ionizing electrodes mounted to ionize said mixture, means for providing a magnetic field through which said mixture is passed, a voltage source, means for connecting said voltage source to said electrodes, electrical terminals on opposite walls of the combustion chamber downstream of said ionizing electrodes, circuit means responsive to changes in electrical resistance between said terminals due to changes in pressure at said terminals for varying the magnitude of the voltage applied to said electrodes.

5. In a rocket, adapted for flight beyond the earths atmosphere, having a motor supplied with a combustible mixture of gaseous fuel, apparatus for enhancing the thoroughness of the mixture to increase the reactivity of the fuel comprising a combustion chamber having an outlet nozzle and throat; a pair of electrodes at spaced positions in said mixture of fuel; a source of electrical voltage connected to said electrodes for eflfecting ionization of particles in said mixture; pressure sensitive means at the throat of said nozzle; and means controlled by said pressure sensitive means for varying the voltage applied to said pair of electrodes.

6. In a rocket, adapted for flight beyond the earths atmosphere, having a motor supplied with a combustible mixture of gaseous fuel, apparatus for enhancing the thoroughness of the mixture to increase the reactivity of the fuel comprising a combustion chamber having an outlet nozzle and throat; a pair of electrodes at spaced positions in said mixture of fuel; a source of electrical voltage connected to said electrodes for effecting ionization of particles in said mixture; means for providing a magnetic field through which said ionized particles pass; pressure sensitive means at the throat of said nozzle; and

means controlled by said pressure sensitive means for varying the voltage applied to said pair of electrodes.

7. In a rocket, adapted for flight beyond the earths atmosphere, having a motor supplied with a combustible mixture of gaseous fuel, apparatus for enhancing the thoroughness of the mixture to increase the reactivity of the fuel comprising a combustion chamber having an outlet nozzle and throat; a first and second pair of electrodes at spaced positions in said mixture of fuel; said second pair of electrodes being spaced downstream from said first pair of electrodes; a source of electrical voltage connected to said electrodes for eifecting ionization of particles in said mixture; means for providing a magnetic field through which said ionized particles pass; pressure sensitive means at the throat of said nozzle; and means controlled by said pressure sensitive means for varying the voltage applied to said first pair of electrodes, the voltage to said second pair of electrodes remaining steady.

8. Apparatus for increasing the efficiency of reaction of a fluid mixture comprising in combination a fluid combustion chamber having inlet and outlet ends, means for supplying the fluid elements to be mixed to the inlet end, ionizing means for said mixture in the form of electrodes spaced axially along the chamber in the direction of gas flow from said inlet end to said outlet end, and means for applying an ionizing voltage to said electrodes, said ionizing voltage being sufficiently low to prevent arcing between said electrodes, said electrodes comprising four ring shaped members of conductive material arranged to lie in a plane perpendicular to the direction of fluid flow therethrough with a positive voltage applied to one pair of adjacent rings to provide a region of positive potential and a voltage applied to the other pair of adjacent rings to provide a region of negative potential.

9. Apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said other pair of adjacent rings to which the negative potential prevails is nearest the outlet end of said mixing chamber and the fluid mixture is a combustible fuel including oxygen.

10. Apparatus as defined in claim 8 together with means for providing a magnetic field at an ionization region between the pair of adjacent rings.

11. Apparatus as defined in claim 8 together with means for providing magnetic fields at each ionization region between the adjacent rings of each pair.

12. Apparatus for increasing the efficiency of reaction of a fluid mixture comprising in combination a fluid combustion chamber having inlet and outlet ends, means for supplying the fluid elements to be mixed to the inlet end, ionizing means for said mixture in the form of electrodes spaced axially along the chamber in the direction of fluid flow from said inlet end to said outlet end, means for applying a voltage to said electrodes to produce a potential field axially of said combustion chamber, said voltage being sufliciently low to prevent arcing between electrodes and sufiiciently high to produce ionization, and means for providing a magnetic field in the ionization region between a pair of electrodes in a direction transverse to said potential field.

13. Apparatus as defined in claim 12 wherein the electrodes comprise ring shaped members of conductive material spaced from the walls of the mixing chamber and arranged to lie in a plane perpendicular to the direction of fluid flow therethrough.

14. Apparatus as defined in claim 12 wherein said electrodes comprise four ring shaped members of conductive material arranged to lie in a plane perpendicular to the direction of fluid flow therethrough with means for applying a voltage between one pair of adjacent rings to provide a region of positive potential and means for applying a voltage between the, other pair of adjacent ring shaped members to provide a region of negativepotential.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED- STATES PATENTS Zenneck et a1. June 3, 1913 Lipinski fJan. 7, 1919 Petersen Jan. '23, 1923 Reeves -Dec. 29, 1953 Andrews et al; Feb. 8,-1955 Sheets- Dec. 6, 1955 Gross Dec. '13, 1960 Berghaus Jan. 24, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS Germany Jan. 2, 1939 

8. APPARATUS FOR INCREASING THE EFFICIENCY OF REACTION OF A FLUID MIXTURE COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A FLUID COMBUSTION CHAMBER HAVING INLET AND OUTLET ENDS, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING THE FLUID ELEMENTS TO BE MIXED TO THE INLET END, IONIZING MEANS FOR SAID MIXTURE IN THE FORM OF ELECTRODES SPACED AXIALLY ALONG THE CHAMBER IN THE DIRECTION OF GAS FLOW FROM SAID INLET END TO SAID OUTLET END, AND MEANS FOR APPLYING AN IONIZING VOLTAGE TO SAID ELECTRODES, SAID IONIZING VOLTAGE BEING SUFFICIENTLY LOW TO PREVENT ARCING BETWEEN SAID ELECTRODES, SAID ELECTRODES COMPRISING FOUR RING SHAPED MEMBERS OF CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL ARRANGED TO LIE IN A PLANE PERPENDICULAR TO THE DIRECTION OF FLUID FLOW THERETHROUGH WITH A POSITIVE VOLTAGE APPLIED TO ONE PAIR OF ADJACENT RINGS TO PROVIDE A REGION OF POSITIVE POTENTIAL AND A VOLTAGE APPLIED TO THE OTHER PAIR OF ADJACENT RINGS TO PROVIDE A REGION OF NEGATIVE POTENTIAL. 